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[Dysphagia] Drooling


  • Subject: [Dysphagia] Drooling
  • From: sem at new-vis.com (Suzanne Morris)
  • Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 13:16:09 -0400

Equipment does not change oral motor patterns such as drooling.   You  
have to know, for example, why the individual is drooling (There are  
a ton of different reasons).  Then you have to know what treatment  
strategies specifically address the problem and the changes you want  
to make.  Then you must have an idea of what type of equipment (if it  
exists) could help you and your client reach your goals more  
effectively or efficiently.  Finally, you search to find the  
equipment that meets your needs.    Asking whether something like a  
tongue scraper (or any other piece of equipment)  would help drooling  
is putting it all backwards.   Somehow we've gotten the idea that our  
treatment is the equipment.  I can't tell you how many families I  
have worked with who have the most complete collection of spoons,  
cups, nipples etc. available and nothing "works".  This simply  
reflects the belief that the equipment will resolve the problem.   A  
piece of equipment is only valuable when it is appropriately targeted  
as a partner in a treatment program that makes sense in addressing  
the underlying components of the problem.

Suzanne
__________________________________
Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D.
Speech-Language Pathologist
New Visions
1124 Roberts Mountain Rd.
Faber, VA 22938
(434) 361-2285 ext. 5
www.new-vis.com

On Sep 4, 2007, at 8:57 PM, melissa zilberstein wrote:
I looke dover the Ark products. Is it the tongue scraper that you are  
referring to?




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